assail
[ uh-seyl ]
/ əˈseɪl /
verb (used with object)
to attack vigorously or violently; assault.
to attack with arguments, criticism, ridicule, abuse, etc.: to assail one's opponent with slander.
to undertake with the purpose of mastering: He assailed his studies with new determination.
to impinge upon; make an impact on; beset: His mind was assailed by conflicting arguments. The light assailed their eyes.
RELATED CONTENT
What’s The Difference Among Ghouls, Goblins, And Ghosts?Come Halloween, miniature ghosts, ghouls, and goblins ring your doorbell. But each of the three freaky frights has a different history and personality. One of the only features these staples of the supernatural share is their ghastliness. Ghosts are considered to be the souls of the dead. They are imagined as disembodied spirits, and are often visualized as vague or evanescent forms; hence, the white sheet routine. The Old English gast …
Deep State And Other Trending Words On Dictionary.comTurpitude, venality, and demagogue When former CIA Director John Brennan weighed in on the firing of former Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe, he likely expected to make waves. But did he know he’d send searches for his word choices skyrocketing on Dictionary.com? The director’s tweet, issued in response to President Donald Trump, represents the biggest spike in searches on Dictionary.com this week! If …
Nearby words
ass., assad, assad, hafez al-, assagai, assai, assail, assailant, assam, assam states, assamese, assassin
Origin of assail
1175–1225; Middle English asaylen < Old French asalir < Late Latin assalīre, equivalent to Latin as- as- + salīre to leap, spring
Related forms
Synonym study
1. See attack.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for assail
British Dictionary definitions for assail
assail
/ (əˈseɪl) /
verb (tr)
to attack violently; assault
to criticize or ridicule vehemently, as in argument
to beset or disturbhis mind was assailed by doubts
to encounter with the intention of masteringto assail a problem; to assail a difficult mountain ridge
Derived Formsassailable, adjectiveassailer, nounassailment, noun
Word Origin for assail
C13: from Old French asalir, from Vulgar Latin assalīre (unattested) to leap upon, from Latin assilīre, from salīre to leap
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for assail
assail
c.1200, from Old French assalir "attack, assault, assail" (12c., Modern French assaillir), from Vulgar Latin *adsalire "to leap at," from Latin ad- "at" (see ad-) + salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). Figurative use from mid-14c. Related: Assailed; assailing; assailable.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper